by Renee Ryan
Releasing a heavy sigh, he shook his head in exasperation. “I will probably regret asking this, but how did you get here?”
“I walked.”
“Of course you did.” His snort of displeasure did not bode well for the rest of this visit. “It’s twenty blocks from here to St. James House.”
She lifted a shoulder, letting the gesture speak for her.
“You should not have come”—he reached for her, took hold of her arm in a gentle but firm grip—“but now that you are here . . .”
With a quick yank, he pulled her inside the house and shut the door with a resounding bang.
Elizabeth winced at the sound. She winced again when Luke fixed his gaze on her. His eyes were filled with apprehension, an uneasy mosaic of gold and amber framed by long, dark lashes beneath a bold slash of sandy-colored eyebrows.
Needing something to do with her hands, she shoved the hood off her head, then reached for the top button of her cloak.
“Don’t bother removing your cloak. You aren’t staying.”
Oh, but she was. At least long enough to present her plan. Apparently, she would do so while wearing her cloak. So be it.
Elizabeth would never know where she found the courage, but she smiled up at him, a big toothy grin that was full of confidence she didn’t particularly feel.
He rewarded the gesture with a grimace.
This was the reception she’d feared.
In the heavy silence that hung between them, she took in his casual appearance with a quick head-to-toe glance. The last time she’d seen him, a mere seven hours ago, Luke had been dressed in formal evening attire.
This morning he wore dark pin-striped trousers and a plain linen shirt. He hadn’t attached the collar yet, nor had he put on a tie, a vest, or a suit coat. A small towel adorned his left shoulder. His square jaw was dusted with fine stubble, and a lock of golden hair tumbled over his left eye.
Elizabeth’s heart switched places with her stomach. She’d caught him preparing to shave. The intimacy of the situation stole her breath. A part of her wanted to stand here in the foyer and simply stare at Luke in all his casual glory. This was the man his wife would meet every morning upon waking. They would share a kiss to start off the day. The moment would be light and tender and—
Her stomach took a fast, hard tumble.
Bad place for her mind to travel.
Luke had a rough edge in the dull morning light that called to a very female portion of her nature. She shifted, briefly wondering if she should have approached him at his place of business instead of his private residence.
Well, as he himself said, now that she was here . . .
“Do you want to know why I’ve come?”
“No.”
It was the exact wrong thing to say. Something inside her broke, fracturing the part of her character that cared what others thought. Elizabeth had had just about enough of well-meaning friends and family treating her like a child, guiding and advising her as if she didn’t have a brain inside her pretty little head. “I have come to offer you a proposition.”
He gave her an impassive stare. “You walked twenty blocks in the cold dawn air to present me with a . . . proposition?”
“You don’t have to make it sound so sordid.”
His lips did not move from their flat, straight line.
There was a long moment of silence, during which he glared at her. And she glared right back.
“Might we have this conversation in a more comfortable setting?” she asked.
For several seconds, he didn’t respond.
Unmoving, hardly breathing, she continued holding his stare. She could do this all day, one of the few benefits of her mother’s rigorous training. A young woman of fine breeding never fidgets.
As she predicted, Luke was the first to break.
“Follow me.” He took off down a wood-paneled corridor.
Elizabeth had to take two steps to match each one of his long, ground-eating strides. The way he moved, all sinewy strength and fast, fluid movement, reminded her of a male lion that ruled his domain.
They rounded a corner and, if she wasn’t mistaken, Luke picked up the pace. Now he was just being ornery. With her breath coming quickly now and her feet moving far too fast, there was only time for impressions. They passed several rooms en route to wherever he was taking her.
The first was sparsely decorated in muted grays and deep blues. There was a formal dining area of sorts, with a table, three high-back, claw-footed chairs—why only three?—and a sideboard. The lack of charm in the décor could be forgiven. Luke had been back in America only a few months, not nearly enough time to furnish a home properly.
Oh, what Elizabeth could do with this house. The feminine touches she could add to the large, airy rooms.
At the end of the second hallway, Luke entered a library, much smaller than the one in her grandfather’s house and all the more welcoming because of it. This room had received more care than the others. The rich, dark wood and deep earth tones reflected Luke’s personality to perfection. The floor was covered with a large woven carpet hailing from the Far East, its intricate pattern the same muted colors as the furniture and draperies.
Spinning in a slow circle, Elizabeth let out a happy sigh.
Bookshelves lined three walls, every shelf overstuffed with books. Her fingers itched to run across the leather spines as she investigated the titles. Were they organized by subject or author? The fourth wall boasted a marble fireplace with an unlit pile of wood.
She could spend hours in this room, enjoying a book and a cup of tea beside a fire, cozied up in one of the two wingback chairs covered in burgundy leather. Luke would be in the matching one, bouncing a fair-haired toddler on his lap and—
Not the point of your visit.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Do you wish to hear my proposition now?”
“Not especially.”
The man was bone stubborn when he wanted to be. Why had Elizabeth not noticed that about him prior to this morning? “I find that odd since you invited me inside your home and brought me to your favorite room—”
“How do you know this is my favorite room?”
She offered him a bright smile. “The newspapers and open books gave you away.” To punctuate her point, she waved a hand in the direction of an overstuffed ottoman covered with both. “As I was saying, you brought me to your favorite room. I can thus assume you want to hear my proposal.”
Hitching a hip on the edge of the room’s lone desk, he gave her a very long, very thorough appraisal. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
Impossible, insufferable man.
Elizabeth would not be intimidated. She would, however, need a moment to gather her courage. With smooth, easy steps, she made her way to the window, staring outside without really seeing the street and buildings beyond.
She was suddenly afraid.
Not of Luke, never of him, but of herself. Of what she might do if he turned her down. There was no other man or woman she trusted to help her. He must agree to her proposal.
She pivoted to face him, only to discover he’d taken several paces toward her. He’d moved quickly, without a sound. There was a fresh intensity in his bearing. This was the man who’d spurned society without concern for what others thought of him.
Elizabeth liked this Luke, rather a lot, perhaps a bit too much. If he agreed to her request, one of them could end up hurt. Probably her.
“Perhaps I should come back another time.” A temporary retreat, that was all. She wasn’t giving up completely.
She made for the door.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He moved with lightning speed, barring her exit with his big body. Feet splayed, arms crossed over his chest, he said, “You have come this far, at great risk to your reputation. I insist you see this through, Little Bit.”
“I need your help.”
He inclined his head ever so slightly. “With what?”
Of cour
se he wouldn’t make this easy. His demeanor was anything but welcoming, and he was standing too close on purpose. She couldn’t think properly. A stab of pain extended from a spot behind her right eye all the way to her left temple.
At least Luke appeared equally on edge. He was outwardly calm and self-possessed, but Elizabeth noted the tension in his neck and shoulders, in the lines stretching out from his eyes and mouth.
“You are different this morning, Little Bit.” He reached out a hand toward her, then dropped it back to his side without making contact. “You are more . . .” The long, quiet stare he gave her accomplished more than a string of sentences could. Whatever he thought of the change in her, it wasn’t flattering.
“I am more . . . ?”
“Reckless.” There was admonishment in his tone, but also something else. Respect, perhaps?
A rather inconvenient surge of pleasure surfaced.
“You’ve stalled long enough. Let’s have it.” He wound his wrist in the air. “Tell me why you came to my home, in the dead of night—”
“It’s early morning.”
“You came to my home,” he repeated, “at an inappropriate hour, risking your reputation, and I want to know why.”
In that moment, the monumental consequences of her behavior struck her full force. Not the consequences to herself—she’d weighed and measured those several times over—but to Luke. She’d put him at risk. Penelope, too. If Luke’s behavior was thrown into question, the gossip could then spread to his sister, for no other reason than their close association.
“Luke, I’m sorry. I made a mistake coming here.”
To her utter shock, his entire manner softened, and he gave her arm a reassuring pat. “It’s done now.”
Oh, right, perfect, now he acted all kind and considerate, which only served to make her more aware of how little she’d thought through this portion of her plan. What if someone saw her leaving his home and he was forced to marry her for propriety’s sake? He would grow to resent her, and that would break her heart. Elizabeth didn’t want either of them trapped in a marriage for all the wrong reasons.
A shiver raced through her at the thought.
“You’re cold.”
“Only a very little.” She burrowed deeper inside her cloak. “It’s chilly out this morning.”
“Come.” He took her hand and tugged her toward the center of the room. “Have a seat by the fire.”
A reluctant laugh slipped out of her. “It isn’t lit.”
“Easily remedied.” He rolled up his sleeves, stopping at the elbows, crouched down, and removed the grate. The muscles of his shoulders bunched and released with his efforts.
Elizabeth couldn’t take her eyes off him rearranging the wood, looking very capable and male. In a futile attempt to find a comfortable position, she shifted, stretched out her legs, pulled them back in.
While he coaxed the fire to life, they spoke of nothing but inconsequential matters. Talk turned to the dinner party the previous evening, both in full agreement it was nice to have Jackson and Caroline home.
During this moment of relaxed conversation, Elizabeth found she enjoyed Luke’s company. She had for some time, and decided to be glad she’d chosen him to be her accomplice. The man was maneuvering his way into her heart. She’d like to think he cared for her, too. But if he wanted more than friendship, he would have made his intentions known by now. Maybe, if she was smart and wily, she could make him see her as more than a child, more than his sister’s friend, more than his Little Bit.
Time to state her business.
She waited until he stood calmly before her, rolling his sleeves back in place. The scent of burning wood and sulfur wafted on the air.
From her perch on the edge of the chair, Elizabeth was once again struck by the casual, easy way Luke moved and how his tall, lean frame was enhanced by the expert fit of his trousers and shirt. He appeared relaxed. But weeks of watching him at parties had given Elizabeth a keen sense of his various moods. The man was coiled tight with tension.
Standing, she squared her shoulders and dug deep for the courage to say, “I have come to ask for your assistance. I wish to break a few rules.”
The only sign of his surprise was a slight narrowing of his eyes, barely perceptible unless one was watching him closely.
Elizabeth was watching him very closely.
“What sort of rules?”
“I’m not talking about anything too terrible or scandalous.”
He lifted a golden eyebrow.
“Mostly insignificant, meaningless little acts.”
The eyebrow lowered. “Perhaps you should let me be the judge of that.”
The very opening Elizabeth hoped he would present.
“I have made a list.” She reached inside the cloth purse hanging from her wrist. “If you would take a look, you will see that—”
“Stop right there.”
She blinked up at him, surprised by the abrupt tone. Lips clamped firmly together, she thrust the list in the space between them instead. Had she waved a poisonous snake in front of his face, she couldn’t imagine a more horrified expression contorting his handsome features.
“Don’t you want to see my list?”
“No.”
Stubborn, stubborn man. “Once you know the things I wish to do, you will see there is no cause for concern.”
“Still no.”
Her breath grew hot in her lungs. “You’re being very narrow minded.”
“I am being cautious on your behalf.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I’m fairly certain whatever is on your list, if accomplished, will lead to your ruin.”
Wasn’t he full of judgment and condemnation? “I don’t care.”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “I find that hard to believe.”
Maybe she did care, a little, but she cared more about the future. She would not stay locked in her gilded cage.
Arguing with the man was clearly the wrong approach. She switched tactics.
“Please, Luke. You must help me.” She softened her voice to a breathy whisper. “You are the only man I trust to embark on this adventure with me.”
Luke closed his eyes against a wave of exasperation. Who was this woman in his home? This bolder Elizabeth was a complete mystery, one he had no chance of solving with her standing so close.
Scrubbing the back of his hand across his mouth, he ordered his mind to focus on the matter at hand. When he was finally calm enough to look at Elizabeth again, he was confronted with a pretty blush spread high on her cheeks.
Not so bold anymore.
Good. Balance was somewhat restored in their relationship. Luke had no business thinking of Elizabeth St. James as anything but his Little Bit, his sister’s dearest friend since childhood, the woman who’d nearly married his closest friend.
“Why come to me?”
Her silk-encased shoulders rose and fell. “I should think it obvious. You are, after all, a worldly man with considerable experience behind you. Your guidance will come with a vast array of knowledge I simply don’t have.”
She had him there, which was why he was the very last man she should approach. No, she shouldn’t be approaching any man. A wave of possessiveness swept through him, but he refused to acknowledge the emotion.
This madness had to stop. He took her arm in a gentle grip and attempted to steer her toward the door.
Revealing a stubborn streak he hadn’t known existed, she pulled free of his hold. “Luke, you know why I have to do this. If I don’t, I fear I will disappear into a black void of nothingness.”
Granted, she was being unnecessarily dramatic, but he did have a good idea what she was feeling. He even understood her reasoning, on an intellectual level. That didn’t mean he would be a party to corrupting her innocence, no matter how insignificant or meaningless her list of adventures turned out to be.
“At the risk of sounding redundant, and I do hate to sound redundant,�
�� she said, “I have nothing to show for my life other than my impeccable reputation.”
“What’s wrong with having an impeccable reputation?” He’d worked hard cleaning up his own.
“Actually, I would relish society’s high esteem if I knew, without a doubt, I was more than the product of my upbringing.”
“You are more.”
Her breath expelled on a deep, weary sigh. “How can you know that?”
“I know you.”
“You can’t possibly. I don’t even know who I am.” She lifted serious eyes and shoved the list into the space between them. “Will you help me find out?”
Maintaining a calm pose became a lesson in torture. The woman had no idea what she asked. The danger she was putting herself in by coming to a man like him.
“You cannot risk your standing in society, Little Bit.” He pushed the hand holding the list away from him. “The cost is too high, the risk too great.”
Could he sound any more pompous, any more arrogant, any more like his father? Warren Griffin had uttered those very same words to Luke, regarding both his personal life and his business pursuits.
The situations were not the same. The matter of a young woman’s good name was at stake. Luke’s thoughts shifted to Penelope. If he found out she’d gone to a gentleman’s residence without the benefit of a chaperon, no matter the time of day, he would lock her away until her wedding night.
Jaw firm, eyes not quite meeting his, Elizabeth carefully tucked the list inside the cloth purse hanging from her wrist. “If you refuse to help me, then I will approach someone who is more agreeable to a bit of adventure.”
Not while he still had breath in his lungs.
Given their history, Luke could be a gentleman about this. He could take pity on Elizabeth and provide her an exit that would allow her to maintain a portion of her dignity.
No time for that. The woman was on a mission. Her mind was set. He would have to rely on shocking some sense into her.
A plan formed in his head. It was a little underhanded, but reason hadn’t worked.
“Very well, Little Bit. You have won me over.”
“I have?”
“What can I say?” He added a bit of charm to his smile. “You are a fierce negotiator.”